Umlimi - FARMER

Wena ongumlimi – uqonde ukwenzani nakusasa? 

Instructions:

Folio strap: Ukukhiqiza

UJane McPherson, umphathi wephrogramu leGrain SA Lokuthuthukisa Abalimi

Photos:

 

Ezindaweni eziningi lapha eNingizimu Afrika lapho kutshalwa khona ummbila, ihlobo lonyaka odlule bekuyisikhathi esihle – imvula ekwanele ine ngesikhathi esifanelekile futhi bekukhona ukufudumala okusize umkhiqizo ukukhula kahle. 

Ukutshala ummbila bekumnandi futhi bekulula lo nyaka – intengiso inhle futhi abaningi abalimi bazothola inzuzo enhle lo nyaka. Kodwa yonke iminyaka ayifani nolo nyaka, akungeke kubelula njalo. Ngakho-ke kufanele ucabange ngokuthi wena ongumlimi umi kanjani ngokwamanje futhi uqonde ukuyaphi ngomsebenzi wokho wokulima. 

Kukhona abaningi abantu lapha eNingizimu Afrika, kakhulukazi eMpumalanga, eLimpopo, KwaZulu-Natal naseEastern Cape abalima ezindaweni ezincane futhi bayazilimela ukuthola ukudla kuphela, batshala kakhulu ummbila namabele. Abaningi abalimi labo basalima ngezandla – bahlwanyela futhi bahlakula ngezandla. Thina sifisa ukusekela labo balimi bathuthuthuke ngendlela balima ngayo ukuze bazoba nokudla njalonjalo kusasa.. 

Sibonile ukuthi abalimi abalima amasimu amancane bavama ukuba nezinkinga ezilandelayo:

Uhlobo lomhlababthi nesimo sezulu okungafanelanga nokukhiqihiza ummbila

Kubalulekile kakhulu ukubheka ukujula komhlabathi lapho kuzotshalwa khona ummbila – uma umhlabathi ungenabude ukushona phansi futhi imvula ina kancane, ummbila awungeke umile kahle, kungaba ngcono ukukhetha olunye uhlobo lwesitshalo ukutshala bese uyayithenga impuphu. 

Kufanele sikhumbule ukuthi ukusebenzisa amasimu kudinga imali namandla – ngesinye isikhathi sibihlola ukuthi inani lalokhu lingakanani, mhlawumbe singathola ezinye izindlela zokulima ezizoletha inzuzo engcono ngaphandle ukungenisa imali namandla okuningi. Zama ukuthola enye inhlobo yesitshalo esizozwana kangcono nesimo somhlabathi nesezulu endaweni lapho ufuna ukulima khona. 

Ukulima okufanele nangokujula okufanele

Lokhu kuyinto ebalulekile kukhiqizwa ummbila – umhlabathi ufanele ulinywe ngendlela ezokwenza ukuthi uxege, ubeyimvundumvundu ukuze izimpande zezitshalo zizokwazi ukungena phakathi emhlabathini zifike lapho kulondolozwa amanzi. Khumbula ukuthi uma uvama ukulima ngokujula okufanayo njalonjalo, masithi 20 cm - 30 cm, kuzodaleka uhla olukhuni emhlabathini lapho igeja lihamba khona njalo bese lokhu okulukuni kuzovimba izimpande zezitshalo ukungena emhlabathini ngokwanele. 

Ukutshala izimbewu ezifanelekile nokusebenzisa umanyolo ofanelekile

Kusekhona abaningi abalimi abasalondoloza basenzise izimbewu zezitshalo ezivunwe yibo. Lokhu akusiyo indlela enhle yokulima, ngakho-ke siyabatshela ukuthi bathenge izimbewu ezinhle ezinesitifikethi njalo ngonyaka. Kukhona ukuqhubeka okukhulu okwenzekile mayelana nezinhlobo zezimbewu ezinsha ezikhuliswe kahle. Uma umlimi esebenzisa uhlobo olufanelekile, angakhuphukisa umkhiqizo wakhe ngendlela enhle. 

Ukufaka umanyolo kubalulekile kakhulu – umhlabathi ngokwawo awukwazi ukunikeza ukudla kwezitshalo okudingekayo njalonjalo – kusezandleni sethu sokuqinisa ukuthi sinikeza izitshalo ukudla okufanelekile – uma singakwenzi lokhu, asingeke sikwazi ukulima nokuthola ukudla eminyakeni ezayo, futhi sizolimaza umhlabathi bese abasilandelayo kusasa bangeke bakwazi ukulima lowo mhlabathi ukuthola ukudla. 

Ukuphatha ukhula

Ukuphatha ukhula kuyinto eyodwa edala ingozi enkulu ekukhiqizweni kokudla okuzinhlamvu – amaviki amathathu lapho isitshalo sommbila siqala ukumila abaluleke kakhulu. Akufanele kubekhona ukuncintisana nokulwa ngaphakathi kokhula nezitshalo ukuthola ukudla emavikini amathathu aya emavikini ayisithupha emva kokqala ukumila uma ufuna ukuthola umvuno omuhle. 

Noma kunjalo, nabalimi abalima amasimu amancinci bafanele bacabange ngokuphatha ukhula ngamakhemikali – izindleko zokusebenzisa amakhemikali zingaphansi kwezinye izindlela zokuhlakula njengokuhlakula ngezandla noma ngemishini. Ngamakhemikali ukhula lungabulawa ngesikhathi esisuka ngaphambi kokumila kwezitshalo esiya ekuvuthweni kwezitshalo, futhi ukhula olufana notshani nalolu olunamakhasi abanzi lungabulawa ngale ndlela. Abalimi abalima amasimu amancane bangabheka ukusebenzisa izimbewu ezithelwe ngeRoundup nalezo ezwazi ukuvikela izilokazane eziqopha izinkuni zommbila – kuzodingeka ukuthi ufafaze amasimu kanye noma kabili ngeroundup ukubulala ukhula, kodwa uzobulala ukhula kahle futhi akudingeki umsebenzi omningi. 

Ukuphatha izilokazane

Kuhlaba enhliziyweni uma usebenze kakhulu bese ulahlekelwa umvuno ngenxa yizilokazane. Umlimi ufanele abekhona njalo emasimini akhe, kufanele ahlole izitshalo zakhe njalo ngosuku – kukhona amakhemikali amaningi abulala izilokazane kodwa kufanele athelwe ngesikhathi esifanelekile. Ukusebenzisa izinhlobo zommbila ezibizwa ngokuthi iBT zenze ukuthi izilokazane eziqopha izinkuni zommbila ziphatheke ngendlela elula – lezi zitshalo zikhethiwe futhi zikhuliswe ngendlela ezinika amandla ukungalinyazwa yilezi zilokazane – akungeke kusadingeka ukuthi ufufaze umuthi. 

Kukhona eziningi izindlela zokuphatha nokumilisa ummbila ngendlela efanelekile – sisho nabalimi abalima amasimu amancane nabo bangathola usizo. Kumbula ukuthola ulwazi nokusekelwa kulabo Bantu abasebenzela iGrain SA Farmer Development Programme noma ibhizinisi lezokulima eliduze nawe noma kuMnyango Wezokulima – thola izindlela ezinsha zokwenza umsebenzi ojwayelekile. 

Ukuqonda ukuba umlimi wezomnotho

Ukuze ukwazi ukuba umlimi wezomnotho kuzodingeka ukuthi uqhubekela phambili – awungeke usakwazi ukusebenza ngezandla kuphela. Ngonyaka oludlule oluhle bekungenzeka ukuthi ube nemali yokuqasha umkhontilaki, kodwa ngokukhuluma iqiniso, uma ufuna ukuqhubeka ukuba umlimi wezomnotho, kuzodingeka ukuthi uthole imishini yakho ozosebenza ngayo. 

Ubukhulu bamasimu akho buzokukhombisa ukuthi uzodinga imishini engakanani, kodwa ngokwejwayelekile uzodinga okulandalayo: 

Ugandaganda osaphilile.

Umshini wokulima ngokokuqala njengeripha noma igeja.

Umshini wokulima ngokwesibili njengecultivator, iKongskilde noma iVibroflex.

Ipulantela – ipulantela elifanelekile eliphilile elizokwazi ukulinganiswa ukuze litshale inani lezimbewu elifanelekile nenani likamanyolo elifanelekile. 

Umshini wokufafaza – umshini ophilile ongalinganiswa ukuze ufafaze amakhemikali ngenani elifanelekile.

Ungazama ukuthola umkhontilaki ukwenza ingxenye yale misibenzi – kodwa khumbula ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi ingxenye yemisebenzi ebalulekile ifanele yenzeke ngesikhathi esithile, bese uzothola ukuthi umkhontilaki unabaqashi abaningi abafuna ukwenza leyo misebenzi ngesikahti esifanayo. Akulungi ukuthi utshale izitshalo zakho emva kwesikhathi ngoba umkhontilaki akazange aphumelele ukutshalela wena ngesikhathi esifanelekile. Ukutshala kungumsebenzi odulile futhi kungadaleka ingozi masinya, ngakho-ke, uma ufisa ukuqhubeka ube umlimi wezomnotho, kufanele wenze yonke imisebenzi ngendlela efanelekile nangesikhathi esifanelekile. 

Ukubaluleka komshini ofafazayo kuyinto enkulu edingekayo – ukusebenzisa amakhemikeli ukubulala ukhula akusizi kuphela ngoba umsebenzi wenzeka masinya futhi wenzeka kahle, kuyasiza futhi ngoba akuduli kakhulu – intengo yedizili ekhuphukayo iqindezela umlimi ukuze asebenze ngendlela ezoletha inzuzo enhle ngaphandle kokusebenzisa imishini kakhulu – ukuphatha ukhula ngamakhemikeli nokungahlakuli kakhulu kuyindlela yokulima yakusasa.. 

Cabanga ukuthi uqonde ukuyaphi ngokulima kwakho – uma ufisa ukuba umlimi wezomnotho, uzodinga isu elihle bese usebenzela ukuthenga ugandaganda nemishini okufanelekile ukuze uzokwazi ukuphatha yonke imisebenzi yakho yokulima ngezandla zakho. 

